All a Matter of Timing
by Foxinstrazt
Summary: Ruby's life has usually revolved around the dogs she helps at the Schnee Animal Rescue Clinic, but for the last week she has been going to the coffee shop across the street hoping to catch sight of a beautiful waitress she saw there. Fortunately for her, that waitress walks through the doors of the clinic. Unfortunately, she also has a problem with dogs. [Story is Complete]
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the following writing except the characters and events I create.**

* * *

 _ **All a Matter of Timing –**_ **Chapter 1**

"It's okay boy, it's okay."

Ruby ran a gentle hand down through the rough fibers of long hair on the nearby dog's back. With each inch that her fingers massaged the tension bled from the trembling body, and the drooping ears stood a little bit longer. Under normal conditions, he would have been a prime specimen of his breed, one of the few remaining sled dogs from the north.

Behind her, she could hear Yang working to set up the kennel where they would be keeping this dog. Clearly the abuse from the previous owner had involved more than just the beatings that had left the patches of torn out fur in the brown-gray coat, it looked like the poor thing had been forcibly locked up for long enough he was now afraid of any cage. Ruby had known something was wrong the second she had brought him into this room, from the way his tail had immediately dropped down between his legs and his padding gait had become slouched and slow.

But when the Atlesian husky had seen the cage he would call his own, he had tried to bolt. She had only managed to stop him by laying a gentle hand upon his mane, kneeling down to bring the poor thing into her lap and begin to calm him. As she looked back, she could see her half-sister working to sprinkle some treats along the entrance to the kennel, just enough to entice the frightened pup forward.

Between her gentle coaxing and the wonderful smell of promised treats, the dog slipped from her hands and wandered slowly through the entrance of the cage. Ruby breathed out a sigh of relief at seeing him pad around and then lie down, chomping cautiously on one of the savory meat snacks that had been laid out for him. Glancing at Yang, she let out a nervous laugh, one that the blonde was more than happy to join in on.

After a moment, their mirth died down and Ruby let out soft groan as she rose back up to her feet. "For now, let's leave the cage door open. Poor thing might hurt himself if we don't give him time to adjust before locking him up."

"I'll make sure to come back in and do that before the next scheduled rescue." Her half-sister flashed her a winning grin, a pretty face lighting up within a frame of golden hair. "You're off soon, right? Gonna go sit in that coffee shop across the street for a couple hours again?" The smile took on a much more teasing quality as Ruby felt her cheeks heat up.

"It's.. Good coffee." Yang made a noise that simultaneously agreed while communicating disbelief, a favorite of the blonde's whenever Ruby tried to dodge a subject. "Plus I have to go out and socialize! Not all of us are lucky enough to fall in love with people we work with."

Instead of distracting her sibling, the words only spurred Yang on with a triumphant yell as they exited the kennels and entered the the main waiting room. "So you are going there hoping to run into that girl again! How did you describe her? Velvet," Her sister spoke to the brunette that sat behind the reception desk, a young woman with gorgeous features and a cute accent that could slay even the most hard hearted person. "Help me out here."

"I believe it was: 'Hair the color of midnight, eyes like gold, and an ass that almost made me faint.'" Both of the older girls shared a laugh at her expense, but at least Velvet calmed down rather quickly. "Sorry Ruby."

"Not your fault Velvet. Known Yang all my life, should know better than to tell her when I meet a girl." Ruby grimaced when her words earned her a playful punch from her sister, causing her to stick her tongue out at the blonde in a juvenile expression. "So you've told Weiss too, haven't you?"

"Texted her right after you told me! She said it was about time." There was a spark in lilac covered eyes that Ruby had noticed was always present when Yang spoke of her girlfriend, the owner of the rescue clinic and resident veterinarian, Dr. Weiss Schnee. So warm with pets, especially the dogs they mostly worked with, but so cold in person. She thought it didn't get much more opposite from the good doctor than her sister, but she'd also never seen them happier than when they were together. "Told me I should give you some tips for asking the mystery lady out!"

"I think I do just fine on my own, thank you very much!" Puffing out her chest somewhat in a prideful gesture, she earned a slight giggle from the receptionist before her sister waved her off and turned to leave the shelter.

"File your paperwork and get out of here, Rose."

"Don't forget to close that cage, Xiao Long." Their back and forth amused Velvet, as the brunette let out another small laugh before handing over a clipboard with the usual forms to Ruby. Pulling a pen from the back pocket of her jeans, she snickered to herself and clicked the top.

Time had no traction on her thoughts as she went through the motions of filling out all the info they had on the Atlesian Husky. There was only so much she knew for sure, but so much more that she had figured out while working with him. The officers who had originally brought him in had only mentioned the patches of torn out fur, but the abuse of this dog had run deeper than even she had assumed at first.

Like with every time, paperwork proved the toughest time for her. Yang called it her bleeding heart, but Ruby had a hard time trying to be impartial on paper after working with the animal she then had to write about. She wanted to give a full report, even if that meant Velvet had to white out a few lines of her cursing the former owner of the pet.

The sound of a throat clearing brought her out of her own thoughts, staring in the wide brown eyes of the receptionist who was angling her head forward, like she was trying to point at something without using her hands. "Uh.. Ruby you may want to take this one."

"Huh?" Turning to figure out just what the other girl was talking about, it became exceedingly clear when she saw someone opening the second set of doors to the shelter. Black hair cascaded down slender shoulders, and fierce amber-colored eyes locked onto her's as the beautiful newcomer strode forward.

"Oh."

* * *

Blake Belladonna had been standing outside the building for long enough she was sure that anyone who happened to pass by on the sidewalk behind her probably thought she was crazy. Hell, she thought she was crazy. Clenching her fists over and over in a nervous habit, she had been trying to work up the courage to walk in and talk to the girl with red highlights.

For the last few weeks, she had noticed the girl she had come looking for walking to and from the shelter. Short black hair with red highlights pulled into a ponytail that fell just past her shoulder blades, and bright eyes the color of silver, like mini reflections when they had happened to glance in Blake's direction. The girl was gorgeous, and she had been hooked since that first look. And of course she had to work at a rescue center for dogs. Of course it had to be dogs.

She had been about to go in when a woman with impossibly long golden-blonde hair had walked out the door and froze, staring directly at her for a few seconds. It all felt incredibly uncomfortable and all of the courage she had built up before had flitted away. To make matters worse, the blonde had just laughed and said 'Hi!' before walking away, like she had known was Blake was up to and was laughing at her!

Calming herself as her thoughts got a bit too far away from her, she took a deep breath and reached forward, pulling the first door out so she could step in. The second door was much quicker as her heart began to panic inside her chest, and she realized her mistake in not checking who was inside before entering. Because there was the girl she had come to see, standing there. Watching her with a surprised expression, along with the receptionist, who looked far too interested in not appearing to be interested.

Before her nervousness could force her to bail, the silver eyed girl strode forward with a hand extended. "Hi there, and welcome to the Schnee Animal Rescue Clinic." Without being able to do much more than stare, Blake was shocked when her hand moved on its own accord to meet the incoming shake. "My name is Ruby Rose."

Ruby Rose. That explained the black tattoo on the back of the girl's left hand, a stylistic rendition of a rose flower that was burning at the tips of the petals. Staring at the inked skin as she shook the hand, she took a moment to study the girl before forcing herself to speak. "Blake. Belladonna. I-Um.."

"Did you come to see if you'd like to adopt any of our dogs?" The way that Ruby spoke made it seem as if she was trying to help Blake by offering up a reason. For all that she had sat outside thinking about what to say, having a reason for coming into this place had never occurred to her. "We have plenty of rescues that could use a good home. All of 'em that you can adopt today are fully trained for a household too, by yours truly!"

Blake wasn't sure if it was because of the good sales pitch, or because she was quite literally lost inside the pools of molten argent that were the other girl's eyes, but she almost said yes right then and there. "Well I.." She cocked her head to the side, raising an eyebrow as her mind processed what had been said. "You trained them? All of them?"

"Yup!" The shorter girl brightened up as the subject shifted, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she spoke. "I've always had a way with animals, dogs especially. They love me, I love them. They listen and learn.. It works!"

"Sounds like a useful skill to have, especially if you work.." Blake flitted her gaze over to the receptionist, who was still obviously making an effort to appear like she was not eavesdropping on their conversation. It made her incredibly self conscious, even as she cleared her throat again. "You know, a place like this."

"So, were you thinking about adopting a pet? I can answer pretty much any questions you have."

"M-maybe." A cute, lopsided smile came from the girl, enough to put Blake at ease as she returned it with a shy spreading of her own lips. It faded instantly when she heard the telltale bass of a large dog's bark from outside, and flinched as she turned to see the blonde from earlier helping a police officer bring in a very angry looking pitbull.

* * *

"Oh crap." Ruby pranced about with uncertainty as she saw the situation outside, identifying in an instant that this was going to be a trouble case from the way the dog was snapping at the harness that was being used to steer the wild and aggressive animal towards the entrance. Glancing at Velvet for a single moment, she briefly considered telling the receptionist to go and close the husky's cage.

But she knew that it wasn't just her responsibility, but that the husky would be afraid unless she was there to calm it as she closed the door this early. Mentally kicking herself for the shoddy timing she had with this girl, Blake, she forced a brief smile as she backed up. "Um, stay there, I need to take care of something and I'll be back out. Well don't stay there, move to the side, but, um.."

Pushing through the swinging double doors with a frustrated groan, she moved quickly to the cage to close it, stopping before she did. Inside the husky raised a lazy head to regard her, and she reached in to meet his snout with a gentle hand. "Aw man my luck doesn't just suck, it hates me. I'm gonna close your cage now, but it'll be okay, alright boy?"

She saw the nervousness that entered the animal's eyes as she began to close the door, but it never amplified into full blown fear. Ruby tried to take her time, but she could hear Yang's directions for the officer getting closer, and she ended up locking the kennel far sooner than she would have liked. Standing and moving to get out the way, she was barely missed by the door that swung inward to admit the three that she had seen coming in outside.

Ducking past them, she made it a few steps into the main room before she stopped, with Blake nowhere in sight. "I.. Um, Velvet?"

"Sorry, Ruby." The receptionist looked truly apologetic, with brown eyes filled with sympathy, but not directed at her. "Your girl took one look at that dog and got scared, slid along the wall farthest from it and bolted as soon as Yang got 'im through the door."

Moving to look out through the glass windows that covered the front of the clinic, Ruby let out a groan. For the past few weeks, she had been visiting the coffee shop across the road to see this woman again. She had first seen her as a waitress there, but in the days since, nothing.

 _Blake Belladonna._

Ruby mentally rolled the name around on her tongue, and then resolved that the woman now knew where she worked. If Blake wanted to, she could find her again. All she had to do was wait.

* * *

 **Author's Note: So this is my attempt to get through writer's block, I guess. Inspired in equal parts by an idea of BooksAndWeapons, and a piece of art from Noxypep, I'm not sure where this is going, but it's going to be fluffy. Which is.. New, for me. So take it easy on me, I'm trying not to be angsty in this story as this is going to be a sort of fun.. Thing. Yeah. Anyway, let me know what you think! -Fox**


	2. Chapter 2

_**All a Matter of Timing –**_ **Chapter 2**

"So was she as cute as you remembered?"

Blake fell down across the edge of a bed, stretching out and groaning in frustration at her friend Sun's question. Her roommate was a tall, muscled guy who loved to leave his shirt unbuttoned, a deadly combination for most young women when you factored in his shaggy blond hair and boyish charm. "Ugh, cuter. She totally rocks having dyed hair and tattoos, it looks natural on her. Oh! And she has silver eyes."

"Oh, she sounds hot. Where's this girl work again?" It was Neptune, Sun's friend, that spoke. Both the boys were barely listening to her, instead focused on the TV that sat a few feet from the couch, mashing away at their controllers as they played the racing game. Without losing a beat, Sun smacked the shoulder of his friend even as Blake turned to glare at the blue-haired boy. "Hey!"

"And what's the problem?"

The question came from the blond, and it was one that Blake mulled over whether or not to reveal it, given that it could be a complete deal breaker for what she had desired from the moment she had first laid eyes upon the other girl. "She works at that animal clinic across the road from the cafe.. And she really likes dogs."

The noise from the game ceased as Sun paused it, ignoring the surprised exclamation from Neptune as he turned to rest his arms on the back of the couch and look at her. "Oh man, you sure know how to pick them."

"She loves dogs, she even trains them. I think the universe hates me." Blake lifted her head a few inches from the soft mattress before allowing it to fall again, letting out another soft groan as she did so. After a long moment, she finally looked over at Sun, who was giving her a sympathetic smile. "I stuttered when I went in to ask her out. I never stutter."

"Uh oh, you're head over heels for this girl. Did you even get her name, or did you chicken out?" Her roommates grin went unpunished as she joined him in a soft chuckle that turned into a sound she was making far too often now, another pained groan.

"Her name is Ruby Rose.. God, Sun, even her name is cute. I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

Her pleading look was met with another laugh, this one joined by Neptune, who had also turned around to listen in on the conversation. "You're head over heels, Belladonna, and you've met this girl twice. Yeah, you're in trouble." After a moment the mirth faded from Sun's face as the blond took on a more serious expression. "So what're you going to do?"

"Move on, try to forget those beautiful little pools of silver.."

"Or.. You could go talk to her again." The thought made her perk up somewhat, as she turned to look at her friend with a questioning gaze. "I mean, outside of where she works so you aren't such a mess. Wait for her shift to be over and bump into her on the road, say hi, talk with her. You work across the street you have the perfect excuse! You might as well see if she's interested."

Nodding in agreement, Blake drew in a long breath before letting it out. Sun was right, if she didn't try she would end up regretting it every time she happened to see Ruby leave work. But as far as Ruby being interested, she was fairly sure the girl was. It was either that or Blake had misread that entire situation, especially with the receptionist that just reeked of gathering the next juicy gossip for the office.

 _Ruby Rose.._

"I'll try again."

* * *

Leaning over the counter as she filled out the latest paperwork, Ruby was unconsciously swaying to the music that was softly playing through the speakers of Velvet's computer. It had been a week since Blake had walked ran out of the clinic, an agonizing slow passing of seven days where during each she held a diminishing hope that the golden-eyed brunette would wander back through her doors.

Each day had ended with a bitter taste of disappointment, her patience having run out at the end of the first day, when she had gone to the cafe across the street in search of Blake. Frustratingly, she had been told she had missed the other woman, whose shift was over a full hour before Ruby herself usually got off work. At least that explained why she hadn't been able to find the girl there except that first day. Small victories, she supposed.

It didn't really help to know that, as Ruby found her entire work day so jam packed that taking a lunch became munching on a sandwich in the back room for five minutes before getting back to it. It had never occurred to her, how much she really worked when she was here. It had never really mattered, and she didn't quite understand why the lack of free time bothered her now, the dogs here needed her. Most days she ended up staying an extra hour or so anyway, so what if it meant no slowing down, it had never mattered before.

"Ruby."

Before she met Blake, the girl she knew nothing about, that she had accidentally met twice. What had been frustration at how much she had been working melted instead into a feeling of guilt at how quickly she was willing to drop that work, the time she spent with these dogs who needed her.

"Ruby!"

A soft hand laid across the back of her own, drawing her from her thoughts as she blinked and slowly looked over at Velvet, who had called her name. "If you put any more force behind that pen, you're gonna tear the page right open. What's wrong, luv?"

Looking down at the paperwork she had been writing on, she could see that the last few sentences of the report were more indented into the page than merely written on it. "Uh." Glancing back over at the brunette, she could tell that the look of concern meant that her own expression a few moments ago must have been telling. "Well.."

By chance, her gaze wandered slowly towards the front windows as she thought, and whatever reply she had come up with for Velvet was stolen by what she saw there. The very woman who had occupied her ought so for a week, whose absence had caused such a worried and awkward train of thought, was standing there on the sidewalk in front of the clinic.

And was fidgeting, from what she could see. Blake looked like she was struggling to build up the courage necessary to walk through the doors again, and for a moment, it even looked like the girl was going to leave before she turned back and made a frustrated expression. The entire display brought a wide smile to Ruby's face, this confirmation that the reason for the other girl coming in was a far more personal issue where she was concerned.

"Oh my god.." Velvet made her presence known again by uttering those words, the shock there telling Ruby all she needed to know.

Whirling about to face the receptionist, she pointed a finger directly at the girl's cute button nose. "Yang can never know about this, got it? She will never let me live it down." The brunette held up both hands in a sign of peace as she laughed, and gave an affirmative nod. "Thank you, Velv."

For all the trouble that her sister and the receptionist gave her when her love life was concerned, Ruby knew that it was all in the spirit of fun. That didn't mean she wanted to hear this moment repeated back to her a thousand more times from Yang, especially not when her sister thought the story had gotten too boring and started inserting her own ideas of how to spice it up. Ruby had mistakenly revealed too much to her sister before, she knew what it would ultimately mean if Yang got a hold of an awkward moment.

Not this moment, though. If she played her cards right, this might be a chance to continue things with Blake. A gentle shove from her friend got her out and around the desk she had been leaning over, and she tossed a teasing glance back at Velvet as she advanced toward the door. The woman outside hadn't seen her, not until she was already through the first set of doors.

By the time she had opened the second set, Blake had froze in place, watching her with an expression of immediate regret. "Um..Ruby?" The girl was wearing a torn up pair of jeans today that matched well with an old band tour t-shirt, somehow matching casual wear with a grunge look and managing to pull it off.

"Hey there, stranger." Greeting the woman with a warm smile as she slid around the edge of the door, Ruby made an effort to not push her luck with the brunette, not trusting her instincts that Blake was here for her. So she stood near the entrance, hands tucked into the back pockets of her jeans and rocking on both heels. "You ran out pretty quick last time."

"Oh? ..Uh, yeah. I had-" There was a solid second of silence that passed between them before the end of the laughably bad excuse came. "A friend call me, needed my help with his homework."

But Ruby didn't press for the holes that were bound to be in the excuse, even though the fact Blake had to lie probably meant that the waitress was not here for her, and the real reason for the running away was likely personal. Even with the itch of curiosity at the back of her skull demanding to be satisfied, she refused to press. "Well, if you want to see if any of the dogs might take a shine to you, I'd be happy to show you around."

She couldn't help but be deflated of all the confidence and swagger she had held but a moment before. A whole week of hope, of waiting, of wondering what she would say when next she saw the beautiful girl that was Blake Belladonna. Only to turn out she may have grossly misread the situation. The brunette stammered a few times before replying, show if an uneasiness that seemed to be growing. "I-I actually don't know all that much about dogs, to be completely honest."

Ruby swallowed her pride, and her nervousness. She was not a strange to attraction to girls who did not return it, it was something she had gone through many times. Being a friend afterwards was always difficult, but doable. "Well I'm off in a few minutes, if you want to stick around.." She gave a shrug that was meant to be aloof, but judging from the eyebrow that was raised, it probably came off as the weird jerking motion it felt like. "Maybe we could walk together, my apartment is only a few blocks from here and I'd be more than willing to answer whatever questions you have."

It seemed as if all the awkwardness of their meeting bled away with that suggestion, and Blake gave her a brilliant smile while a hand drifted upwards and brushed a cluster of dark hair back behind a pale ear. "That sounds perfect, Ruby."

* * *

"Well I've always had a way with animals, even when I was a kid. There was this one time, and I swear this is true," Ruby Rose was and interesting individual, Blake had decided. In their walking together, the younger woman had told her many things, each branching off the previous question naturally. This latest story was no exception. "I fell down a cliff while my sister and I were mountain climbing, back in high school. I broke.. Uh, three or four bones in my right leg? I think it was three."

A small smile had found its way to Blake's lips the moment the girl with dyed hair had nearly tripped exiting the clinic and had carried on as if nothing had happened. Quirky, and with a sense of humor to match, Ruby was proving such a distraction she had fallen a half step back so she could watch where she was going and look at the girl at the same time.

"Anyway, that's not important. Basically, I had landed in a ravine, Yang had no idea where I was, and it was winter. I don't know how long I was out but when I woke up I wasn't alone." Stepping past a man who was balancing a lidless cup of coffee, Ruby barely missed a beat before continuing. "There was a big shaggy dog laying next to me. At first I thought it was a wolf, because it was one of those Atlesian sled dogs, you know?"

Blake nodded, but knew it didn't matter if she truly did know or not, the other girl wasn't looking for confirmation. "Imagine how I felt when I spooked the poor thing by screaming. He looked like he'd been lost for a while, but he found me and kept me warm until Yang figured out I'd slid a lot further down than she had thought. And that was the last time I let her talk me into mountain climbing, which was okay with her.. The next summer she was onto mixed martial arts."

There came a distinct pause as they stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for the signal to turn with the lights in the street. Ruby looked at her so quickly that several red bangs swept across a forehead and ended up sticking out in a more exposed position than before. "Uh, what was your question again? I'm sorry, I tend to ramble."

"It's okay, I'm usually the quiet one so I like it when the other person keeps talking. And I like your stories, you've led an interesting life." The crosswalk signal dinged to alert them it was clear, and they began their crossing over an empty road. "I asked you if you liked your job?"

"Oh, right! Yes, yes I do. I love animals and I love caring for them and getting to know them. I'm not.." Silver eyes dashed back and forth for a second while Ruby thought of a way to word her thoughts. "Good with people? I don't make many friends but with animals, I just get them. And they get me, and they don't mind when I say the wrong thing."

"Sure, there are some sad cases like that pit bull we rescued last week. Poor thing was being used in this dog fighting ring the cops have been breaking up over the last few weeks. But for the most part.." Ruby stopped and looked over at Blake, swear if a wide smile. "I love my job, I love being able to help."

Blake returned the grin with one of her own, waiting for the other girl to keep moving, but all Ruby did was glance to the door into the nearby building. "I just realized I didn't really answer any questions you might have about the adoption process." Something she was actually grateful for, as the simple act of being so close to the brunette was sending her thoughts into a tail spin. Silver eyes snapped over to her and widened as an idea came to the girl. "If you'd like, you can come up. We can talk more?"

"Well.." Blake took a look at the watch on her wrist, more for appearances sake than anything else. "I'm free, so if you don't mind, I'm okay with it."

* * *

The absurdity of the situation didn't truly dawn on Blake until they reached the apartment door, and Ruby fiddled in one pocket after another to locate the keys to open it. They were strangers, having ran across one another only a couple of times, and yet the strange girl who had invited her up hadn't thought twice about it. Odd how at ease she herself seemed with it, too.

A mumbled curse followed by an exclamation triumph preceded the door being opened, the younger woman taking the first few steps into the dwelling before yelling out a greeting. "Drei, I'm home!" Silver eyes glanced back at her, revealing cheek tinged with an embarrassed blush. "Sorry about the mess, I try to keep it clean but Yang.."

In truth, it didn't seem all that messy to Blake. Sure, there were clothes thrown about the room with a couch that lay directly to the right of the entrance hall, but it wasn't anything extreme. Following the woman down the hallway, she cocked her head to the side. "Who's Drei?" Her answer came in the sound of a deep, booming bark as a dog that easily reached thigh height slipped around the corner and charged at her.

She was first shocked at the sudden appearance, and merely rocked back a step. But then came the fear, and with it a hell of terror that echoed through the narrow hallway before being consumed by yet another bark. Her heart went from a relaxed state to pounding in her chest as she backed away from the animal that was now attempting to jump up on her, and her breath began to hitch as her panic spread.

In the part of her mind that was still capable of rational thought in that moment, she told herself that the dog was just being happy, with a long tail wagging wildly behind it. But Blake's fear overrode that, and she put both her hands up into the air and stretched away as the large paws thudded against her sides, fear coursing through every vein as she fell to the ground.

There came a moment of relief when she saw Ruby dragging the dog back from her, and her ears caught sound of the other woman reprimanding the beast for jumping on her. But those silver eyes that had entranced Blake widened when they looked over at where she sat, curling into a shuddering ball at the same time she was attempting to scurry away. A dose of shame entered the mixture of fear and panic that had overtaken her emotions, a feeling that only grew as she saw confusion melt into a small degree of understanding, and pity.

With a hand hooked through the large red collar around the dog's neck, Ruby spoke to her and waited for a response, but all that Blake heard was the thud of her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. After a long moment of staring, the brunette moved away from the hallway, taking the animal with her. She couldn't believe her own stupidity, the lack of foresight. After all that the girl had rambled on about on their walk from the clinic, of course there would be a dog here. She had hoped to explain her fear in time, after getting to know Ruby better, but now..

Now she had probably ruined the chance to get to know the girl better.

In the seconds after the dog was removed from her vision, Blake attempted to scramble to her feet. Her plan proved somewhat hazardous, as a dizzying sway accompanied her movements, and she was forced to lean heavily upon the wall to stay upright as she made her way to the door. Closing a shaking hand around the knob, she turned it and began to leave.

She was stopped by fingers wrapping around her trailing wrist, warm and gentle as they guided her in turning back to face the wary gaze of Ruby Rose.

* * *

 **Author's Note: So much for no angst, I guess? At least it's 'actual problems angst' instead of 'killing off characters angst', right? The story has been helping with my writers block immensely, and I've got the entire idea of it mapped out. It's gonna be short and sweet, not a lot of world building and I can't stress this enough: Not my best work. This is just a rambling about my favorite pairing in RWBY with a wrench thrown into the works. But people seem to like it, so that's good! Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter, until next time! -Fox**


	3. Chapter 3

_**All a Matter of Timing –**_ **Chapter 3**

Ruby wasn't sure what it was she was doing, holding Blake back from leaving. Drei was now safely locked in Yang's bedroom, chomping away at a toy, and when she had returned to the hallway it looked as if the other woman had been fleeing. It wasn't as if she could blame Blake, she had experienced a panic attack before, but now she stood there staring into golden eyes with no idea what to say.

"Please stay." It may have been her words, or perhaps the gentle touch of her fingers that had slid down to grip the edge of a palm, but the other girl stepped back through the threshold of the apartment door. Amber irises were wide and dashing about with fear until they finally settled upon her own gaze, focusing on her as Blake took another step closer.

A shuddering breath escaped the older girl's lips, and pale cheeks colored a darker red at the lack of space between them. "I'm sorry, Ruby, I-I should have told you." Even as she watched, Blake's expression flicked between panic and shame a half dozen times before the girl looked away. "I'm not good around dogs at all."

Ruby let out a short and shaky chuckle in response, as if to say that it was obvious. But the answer drew up further questions. "Then why did you come in looking for one?" A damning silence accompanied further avoidance as Blake still refused to meet her gaze, but the brunette's posture had changed immensely. What had been shaking limbs were now frozen in place, as if fear of a purpose being discovered was overriding the residual panic.

Oh..

 _Oh!_

Ruby couldn't help but perk up a bit at the realization, so worried she had been about Blake coming in for no ulterior reason. This moment, this confirmation, filled her with a sense of happiness, and a clarity that the other girl had still not said anything. It was time for a subject change. "You know what? Yang bought me one of those really cool coffee makers and I have no idea how to use it." Letting a sly smile take over her lips as eyes of brilliant gold glanced back in her direction, Ruby knew she had the girl's attention. "Wanna help me?"

* * *

"How do you take your coffee?" Blake released the button on the machine, marveling at how Ruby's description of it had been spot on. It was one of the latest models, even newer than the one she used at work. Whoever this Yang was, they had dropped quite a bit of lien on it. After a long moment of her question going unanswered, she turned to regard the younger girl with a raised eyebrow. "Ruby?"

"Hm?" It looked as though she had caught the brunette with her hand in the cookie jar, so to speak. Silver eyes had snapped up to her gaze as she had turned, but judging from the height that they had been before, she knew exactly what it was that Ruby had been studying. It seemed the other girl thought she had gotten away with it though, as she spoke up with no sign of a blush coloring her cheeks. "Oh. One cream and five sugars, please!"

Donning a devilish and telling smirk as she turned back to scan the wide assortment of creams and sugars that adorned the rack next to the machine. As she leaned over the counter to reach for what she would be adding to the bitter drink, she made a show of swaying her hips as she changed which foot bore her weight. Her reward was a breath that caught in Ruby's throat, immediately followed by an awkward cough to clear it.

Ripping open the packets of sugar all at once, she tilted them until the white grains emptied into the mug, following it quickly with a small cup of cream and a spoon to stir it. Even as she finished with Ruby's, the machine chimed that hers was done, as she turned to offer the mug with a steady hand.

She had never been calmed from one of her 'incidents' so easily, nor as quick as this time had been. It wasn't hard to identify the cause, as it stood right before her. Bangs dyed into a slick red color were brushed from a forehead by an errant hand, revealing a bit more of the wide grin that was being shot her way. The cause was this girl, this person that both trained and loved dogs, that had responded so differently than others had in the past.

Blake knew she was weird, that her reaction to even the littlest of dogs was a sign of some significant mental trauma. Other girls she had been interested in these last few years after high school hadn't pursued her past the discovery of her debilitating fear, most of them just stopped returning calls or texts, but at least one had the decency to tell her she was just too 'high maintenance'. Since then, she had avoided dating, until a certain girl had been walking across the street from the cafe she worked at.

A smile grazed her lips as she turned around with her own mug of coffee in hand, hearing the small noise of pleasure that was coming from the other girl. "Is it really that good?"

"It's amazing!" The brunette chuckled to herself before flashing Blake a sly grin. "Though I already knew you could make a mean cup of coffee."

Letting her eyes drift to her own mug as she stirred in a single packet of sugar, Blake nodded slowly, not thinking much of what the other girl was saying. "How's that?"

"Well you do work at that cafe." Freezing in place, she slowly rose her gaze to regard the younger girl before her. Ruby was rocking back on heels and watching her with the look of the devil in bright silver eyes. "And your coffee is the best I've ever had."

Without elaborating, Ruby tossed her a grin that certainly was marked as a sin in some holy book somewhere, and slipped past her into the living room. Breathing was a task Blake had to remember as she followed, so caught up in studying the pale white legs that led the girl away from her that Blake barely could begin to curse that Ruby had deigned to wear a pair of short shorts on today of all days.

And in the back of her thoughts, her mind still searching for if she had seen the beauty that now held her attention inside her place of work before.

* * *

Ruby led the way into what could be considered her apartment's living room. If what lived in there was more than Yang's dirty shirts that were stripped away the moment her sister walked in the door and flung into the room. Clearing away the couch by gathering up a handful of shirts that covered every shade of yellow that she could think of, she sat down and reached out with her free hand to pat the cushion next to her, silently thankful that Yang had had convinced her to get a couch that was really more of a large chair.

Because it was cozy, her sister had reasoned. Ruby knew the real reason, though. Yang was dating their boss, Weiss Schnee. The good doctor had a tendency to be cold, and not just to anything that wasn't an animal or Yang. With a place to sit that left two people so close, it meant that the long movie nights that her sister put Weiss through would almost always end in cuddling, because of the seemingly innate warmth the blonde possessed.

Ruby let out a soft sigh inside her head as she was reminded of how those nights always went from there, as the walls of the apartment were not the best at containing noise. Outside of her thoughts, she donned a bright smile as the gorgeous creature that was Blake Belladonna sat down on the cushion before her. Given the earlier activities of the brunette, she was surprised that the girl was not more disheveled. In fact, with the shining tresses of captivating black that remained perfectly styled as they had been before, Ruby now found herself breathless as pools of molten amber drifted up over the lip of a coffee mug and grazed her form.

Somehow, without seeming to even try, Blake had stolen every thought and inch of air from her body. The quiet hope that had been building between each beat of her heart was among the sensations that were silenced, and her continued inaction brought s nervous laugh from the beauty that had vexed her so. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

It was those words, spoken with that silken cadence, that broke the spell at last. "I was just wondering.." Shaking her head at a slow pace in an effort to clear it, Ruby stumbled over thoughts before her mind righted itself and became coherent. "Can I ask why you're afraid of dogs?"

"I.." A pause accompanied by a split second of teeth grazing a bottom lip made the delay worth it, as Ruby sat enraptured by every movement, studying each little detail as if it was all to be remembered in complete detail. She saw the way the cup held in long fingers shook, the way a brief glance in her direction told of a question of trust, the way a deep breath spoke of a decision. "I had a pretty bad experience with a dog when I was young.."

"You can tell me about it." Her own eagerness surprised her, as she was leaned forward farther than she had wanted, and the words forced from her lips faster than she had planned. "Y-you know if you.. Want to, and all." No answer came in the seconds that followed, and that passage of time seems as it was eternity for Ruby. "Of course you don't have to, if you don't want to. I mean, you barely know me, and I'm totally not even close to a therapist, and-"

Saved from her own runaway mouth by a quiet chuckle and a hand placed on her bare knee, she promptly shut up and watched the other girl in silence. It took a few moments, but those golden eyes stopped searching around the room as Blake thought and once again fixed on her. "I was bitten by a dog, years ago. It was a big one, a bulldog. It did a lot of damage and left a nasty scar, and I guess.. Left me with a lot of baggage."

Ruby held her free hand over her mouth, the other occupied with holding the mug of hot coffee steady as she felt a strange sort of anger bubble up in her chest. "I'm sorry, Blake. I-I-I had no idea, if.. If I had.." She would have put Drei in his cage. She would have tried a whole lot harder to get out of work at an earlier time. No wonder Blake had ran out last week, after Yang had brought in that angry pit bull. Blake must have really wanted to see her to have been willing to go back into the clinic after that. "Sometimes dogs aren't trained properly or area used by their owners and can.. Lash out. Not that knowing why would help.."

* * *

Still with a hand on a knee, Blake was grinning like a fool at the way the younger girl was rambling on. It was so odd, so comfortable, and so completely Ruby. It made her feel as if the other girl could speak her mind at ease with Blake, a rare thing. Most people found her quiet personality a little more intense than usual, it was refreshing to not feel as if she was being forced to be more active than she wished in the conversation. "Knowing the why behind the attack would actually be really interesting. I truly do know almost nothing about dogs because of the fear that it left me with."

"Can I.. Can I see the scar?" There was a shakiness to the girl's voice, an uncertainty that told Blake the other was worried that this would deflate the mood. But she trusted Ruby, she trusted that she could bare her truest self without fear of judgment.

Releasing her bottom lip from its prison between her teeth, she leaned to set the cup in her hand down upon a nearby table. From there, she moved to roll up the fabric of her jeans that was covering her right leg. Despite her trust in the dog trainer, Blake could not help the acceleration to her heartbeat, the beginning pangs of fear sending a warning through her system.

Thoughts intruded on her mind, images of a reaction that left her in tears, a rejection that crushed all hopes she had for this meeting. But even as the pants were rolled up to reveal the scar, the decision was snatched from her hands, quite literally. It seemed Ruby had gotten impatient and pulled the leg up into her lap without so much as a warning, or a thought of the strange new position it left them in.

Blake felt her cheeks warm as she was turned and pulled almost into a position where she would be sitting on the other girl's lap, surprised at the lack of personal space that the brunette was concerned with. But all thoughts of protest melted away as Ruby's silver eyes studied the ruined flesh of her calf, the torn skin had mended to be bumpy and rough to the touch, a blight forever marked upon her body. A mar that had dissuaded even herself from seeing the beauty of her own form. For years it had plagued her thoughts like it was a pimple on her face, silently laughing at her as she worried that every person who looked at her as she walked would know of its existence. Sometimes it still did, if she let her guard down.

But the wonder that lay in the argent irises and the expression that dominated Ruby's cute features betrayed no thoughts of disgust or rejection, just pure unadulterated curiosity. After a few long moments of study, Blake felt compelled to say something, to explain herself. "The doctors said I was really lucky, that I didn't lose too much muscle and it would probably only leave a slight limp." The next words that came from her were more a voice thought than anything else. "And it's really ugly."

The reply that came from Ruby set her off guard, with widened eyes as the expression do the younger girl told her nothing. "Do you have feeling there?" A slow nod was all that she could manage, as off kilter as she had become.

A warm hand pressed against the scar, gently ghosting over the rigid bumps that matched the pattern of the bulldog's jaw as if Ruby was cradling a baby and not her ruined skin. In that moment, Blake's attention was captured by the black rose tattooed on the back of that hand, on the petals that were burning away. Then eyes that were as sharp as broken glass snapped to her and demanded her attention, eliciting a gasp based solely upon their piercing quality. "I think it's as beautiful as the rest of you. Because it's a part of you, because it explains you." An awkward laugh that seemed hitched in the throat of the other girl sounded out. "Even a misplaced brushstroke on the canvas is part of the painting, o-or something like that."

The original sentiment had nearly brought tears to Blake's eyes, but the way that Ruby had ended it seemed so unlike the girl that now sat before her. It was such a cold shock that she snorted, temporarily ruining the moment as she tilted her head. "What?"

"I don't know!" Even with a blush so furious that the dyed portions of Ruby's hair were beginning to look much lighter by comparison, the girl was cute. It wasn't fair that this young woman before her could make every word, every expression, and every fidget seem so endearing. It wasn't fair because it decided the war before the battle was concluded, because Blake loved how utterly dorky it was, and how comfortable it made her feel that the other girl was so candid with her. "It's something Yang said to her girlfriend about a scar.. It seemed so friggin' charming coming from her!"

To Blake's disappointment, that hand left her leg and joined another in covering the face of Ruby Rose while she sat nearby laughing in response to the girl's antics. After a long while of relishing the way the moment had been so utterly diffused, a silence took over them both and allowed the feelings form before to filter in and overtake the situation.

Blake let her head tilt as she raised an eyebrow, a smirk spreading over her lips as a flash of silver peeked through fingers. "So." Again, the fingers opened and allowed her a glimpse at those gorgeous orbs. "You think I'm beautiful?"

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey again! Sorry if this chapter gets a bit too much 'purple prose'. I'm exhausted after the week I've had and when I write tired I tend to get overly descriptive. ..I secretly love it, too. Anywho, hope you enjoyed this chapter and make sure to give a shoutout on Tumblr to Booksandweapons for their adorable Ladybug art! -Fox**


	4. Chapter 4

**_All a Matter of Timing_ – Chapter 4**

Ruby let out a slow, nervous laugh as those gorgeous golden eyes studied her, positive that her heart was literally being stopped by the teasing smirk that Blake had leveled her way. The silver lining of her own awkwardness was at least that it seemed to take the other brunette's mind off what had happened with Drei.

That didn't save Ruby from her mouth answering on its own accord. "Of course I think you're beautiful! You always dress so stylish and even with what happened earlier your hair still looks perfect-" In the back of her mind, she was mentally hitting herself for not being able to stop, all while simultaneously trying to remind herself to breathe. "And your eyes kinda make me want to keep staring in them because they are really pretty, and that's not even mentioning your butt! I mean, have you seen it?!"

Her question is what broke the rambling, as that heartstopping smirk grew into a full blown grin as the realization of what she had just said set in. "Oh my god.. I am so sorry." It was then she became aware of just how close Blake was, only a few inches away from straddling her. When she had pulled the other girl's leg onto her lap she hadn't considered that they would be so..

Swallowing a breath at the sight of golden irises that seemed to literally smolder as if they were the bright coals that sat at the base of a fire, she felt her tongue dart out to wet her lips. "Um.. You're staring."

"You're cute." The heat that was blooming through her cheeks was now caused by more than just the sheer embarrassment that her rambling had brought, a warmth that wormed its way into her chest and caused her to don a sheepish grin. They both settled into a comfortable silence, enjoying each other's closeness as Ruby sipped at the coffee she had gathered from the table. After a long minute, she glanced back at the other girl with a raised eyebrow, intrigued by the inquisitive gaze that was being leveled back at her. "You said you came into the cafe..?"

The way that Blake trailed off let her know what it was that was being asked, and it made her squirm on the couch as she let out a shaky and nervous laugh. "Well.. I love coffee but I really shouldn't drink as much as I have been." Amber irises widened with curiosity, and the older girl leaned in a few inches closer. "Uh, might as well admit it. I met you a few weeks ago when you served my table at the cafe.. I've been going in after work ever since hoping to catch you again."

"You came in.." She had to stop herself from giggling at the incredulous expression that crossed Blake's gorgeous features, the sheer confusion amusing to her before the girl focused back on her. "I have been walking by the clinic every day since I saw you go in! Trying to work up the courage to go in and say hi." The brunette that had so masterfully teased her, had set her back on her heels and utterly melted her heart by enjoying her rambling, now looked so cute in a state of embarrassment. "But, you know.. Dogs."

"So we've been dancing around each other for weeks now?" Ruby let out a loud laugh at both their expense, shaking her head. "Wow, we are a pair, aren't we?" Settling her eyes on the girl, her grin grew only wider as a nod answered her question. Then a daunting realization came to mind, sobering her quickly. "Oh man, I'm sorry you had to come in to look for me, if I didn't work so late I would have been over to try and catch you during your shift."

A soft touch worked its way over the back of her free hand, and then fingers wrapped around her own to create a gentle hold, calming her and washing away the guilt that was beginning to fester at this new information. "It's okay. It worked out, didn't it?" Glancing down at her hand before returning her gaze to the girl that was holding it, Ruby let out a slow breath. It'd been a while since she'd been in such a close situation with another, but she was sure that the last time hadn't felt this intense, as if any sudden movements would shatter this feeling.

But she moved anyway, leaning in ever so slowly with all the caution of walking on thin ice. Blake moved too, ever so subtle, ever so careful. She could sense it, in the other brunette as in herself, that they had both been burned before in a dance such as this. But the finale never came, as a vibration caused Ruby to flinch back and check her pocket, somehow restoring function to her brain in order to do so.

She avoided Blake's gaze as she pulled her phone from her pocket to check the text message, trying to ignore the pounding in her chest that was sending waves of heat through her body. "Sorry, it's Yang." Unintentionally, she raised her eyes up to find two equally wide orbs staring back at her. For as embarrassed as she felt, seeing the dark blush that covered the other brunette's cheeks calmed her somewhat, letting her know she wasn't the only one left in a mess. "Uh, work thing."

It was a small lie, as the message from Yang was a garbled mess of excitement given that her sister had just found out she had left work with a girl. Rapidly typing away a message to let the nosy blonde know to leave her alone and wait until she was home to ask, she summed it up with a coy declaration that she was 'working on it'.

Even as she watched the notification for the message change from sending to sent, she could feel an impatience permeate the air from her companion on to couch. At first, she believed it to be because of the awkwardness of their previous endeavor, that Blake was simply waiting to extract from their slight misadventure.

What she didn't expect was that the older girl would instead push forward as soon as she set her cell aside, catching sight of a bottom lip bitten in an unsure expression. The very second she returned her gaze to Blake, the slim form slid further into her lap, pushing her back against the cushions behind her.

A noise of surprise escaped her lips in the brief second they were not occupied, as the other girl's mouth closed on her's. Immediately the shock of the moment wore off, and Ruby melted into the embrace. Her hands found the slender hips of her gorgeous partner in this dance, and she met the assault of kisses with an exuberance of her own.

But then it was over, far too soon in her mind, and she was left staring at a breathless Blake who was straddling her. Excitement, happiness, a touch of fear. Ruby observed so many emotions as they swirled through the depths of those smoldering pools of molten gold. "I-I am so sorry, I don't know why I.."

She didn't reply to Blake's attempt to save face for practically jumping her, not verbally at least. Craning her neck as she leaned forward, she held the briefest press of her lips against the soft pads of the other girl's mouth, a hand draping lazily over one shoulder before she fell back. "Don't apologize."

For all that she had been an awkward mess earlier, it made her happy to know she could do the same to Blake. The girl's eyes slowly slid back open, and her mouth moved as if trying to capture Ruby's lips once again, and a deep frustrated breath came when it was realized she was gone again. But she could still feel the heat on her own cheeks when she looked up at the girl, a reminder that victory was not so easily held with the beauty on her lap. "I don't usually kiss on the first date, you know."

Ruby's words did exactly as she intended, putting Blake back on balance as the girl atop her fixed a wry grin in her direction. "But you usually invite strangers into your apartment to talk about dogs?"

"Oh yeah, I do that all the time. Ask my sister, drives her crazy."

Blake released a small laugh at her joke, honestly an undeserved one, but that smirk that was causing her heart to skip a few beats slowly faded away. It's replacement was an expression of worry. "Really though. Was that.. I'm not misreading this whole situation, am I?"

Ruby let a small smile form at the slumped shoulders of the other girl, as if Blake had already accepted that this was too good to be true. "Well if you misread it, then I have no idea what's going on. But.." Using the hand on the brunette's shoulder to guide her closer, she placed another chaste kiss on the girl's lips. "I don't think you did."

* * *

Blake wasn't sure how long the subject had been on Ruby's mind, but the very second that she lid from the younger girl's lap, the question came. "Hey, I have an idea.. Would it be okay if I brought in Drei now?" Affixing a confused look to her new.. Friend? Girlfriend? Now wasn't the time to assign labels, but she couldn't help but wonder how they went from here. Maybe getting on friendly terms with the dog was a good place to start? "He's the most well behaved dog over ever seen. Very excitable, but he isn't aggressive or mean."

Her trepidation was obviously causing Ruby some grief, as a hand brushed red highlights away nervously, waiting for her answer. At first there was only a stammering of words as Blake's mouth refused to speak, and so her companion cut in quickly. "It's okay if you don't what to, it really is. I just don't want you to be afraid of him.. He's a real sweetheart."

She didn't know why this girl seemed able to convince her so easily, or why she thought it would be a good idea to accept. But if getting along with a dog, apparently a well behaved dog at that, as the price of Ruby's company.. "Okay. I-If you think that's best."

There was a childlike happiness to the victorious grin that was flashed her way before Ruby bounded up and practically sprinted from the couch. She returned in no time at all, with Blake feeling as if she hadn't processed any of her fear. Drei seemed a giant from where she sat, with massive paws plodding slowly closer. So caught up in her own panic, she didn't realize she was cowering away until a pair of slim pale legs slid into view, hiding the dog.

"Hey, you don't have to do this." Silver eyes trained on her held an utterly serious light, letting Blake know the truth. This wasn't a price to begin with Ruby, it wasn't a condition or a rule that she had to like dogs. The younger girl was really just trying to help her, trying to acclimate her to a dog that could be trusted. And if Ruby trusted him..

Slowly, she looked over to Drei, and bit back her fear to truly look at the dog. Whatever nobility may have been contained in the animal was not apparent in the goofy smile the dog was leveling her way. A long tongue was hanging from the side of s mouth, and each pant only increased the impression that the animal was no threat to her.

Just a slobbering, funny looking pet. Not a threat.

"Would you like to pet him?"

The words caused her heart to stop for a second, as all her concentration to keep from panicking was lost for that moment. Blake found solace and strength in the gaze that Ruby sent her way, feeling reinforced by the belief that other girl had in her. A brief nod was all that she could manage, and all that was needed as Drei was brought closer to where she sat.

A tentative hand left her side and reached out toward the beast as it lumbered toward her, surprising herself as it impacted with furred ears and began running over the top of the dog's head. Her first impression was that it wasn't so much different than petting a cat, in that when she moved her fingers to gently scratch at the base of the ears, the animal pushed into her hand in appreciation.

But the fear that was building caused her to pull her hand back. It had been years since she had touched a dog, and uncertainty kept her cautious. What she didn't expect was that long tongue to lap over her fingers as they moved away, a soft gesture of thanks that caused her to freeze in place, and stop her breathing.

* * *

"Okay.. I think that's enough for today." Ruby was watching the way that the other girl stared at Drei with wide eyes, and could see that the battle within Blake was steadily building to a fevered pitch. While she wanted to help the girl with the fear, she definitely didn't want to cause another panic attack. "Go home, Drei."

The dog bumped her leg as he turned to plod off towards his kennel, causing her to sway for a moment before righting and donning a wide grin at the shocked expression Blake turned her way. "See? Piece of cake!"

The older girl stood quickly, and crashed into her with the tightest of hugs, straining her rib cage for a second before Blake pulled away. "I haven't been able to be that close to a dog in years, Ruby!" It seemed as if Blake became aware of their closeness, as the brunette pulled away and let out an awkward cough. "What I mean is, thank you. Drei really is a sweetheart."

"He really is." Ruby was smiling like a fool. She couldn't help it. The evening had made a nice turnaround since they had arrived. The coffee, the flirting, the kissing. And now, she felt as though she had helped Blake take the first steps onwards progress on her fear, as if she could conquer the debilitating terror that plagued the girl.

But she wasn't quite that naive to truly believe that her feelings were correct. She knew that something like this, a fear as engrained as it was with Blake would take time, that at best she could hope for Drei to get along with her new friend. Especially if Blake was going to be over more often. "Maybe you'd like to come over again? I think we could make some progress getting you used to him."

With arms linked around her neck, Blake seemed less and less tense as time passed, and even giggled at her words. "Oh, so that's why you'd like me to come over, is it?"

"Well, I.." Ruby felt the bridge of her nose join her cheeks in a heated blush, so easily flustered by the older girl that it was becoming ridiculous. "I'd love-I mean like-to have you over for.. Other reasons. Honestly so long as Yang isn't home we could really do whatever we wanted."

It took a few seconds of staring into the knowing expression on the other girl's face for it to click with Ruby how her words could be taken. Groaning as she buried her face into the crook of Blake's shoulder, she let out a quiet wail. "Why do you keep doing that to me?!"

"Sorry." The older girl didn't actually sound very sorry. "I like making you all flustered. You're cute when you start rambling and get embarrassed, and I really like that I can do that to you." A consolation in the form of a kiss pressed against her cheek came, one that calmed her as she embraced the warm body that held her with renewed heart.

She wasn't sure how long they remained like that, holding one another. However long it was, it was not nearly enough, as Ruby felt herself uncoil from the warmth of Blake's body to stand on her own two legs. "We should.. Exchange numbers. So I'm not dropping by the cafe every day hoping to see you."

Starting when she felt a hand slip into her pocket, she watched as Blake typed in a number, then handed it back to her. "Text me." She complied with the order immediately, only to hear the beginning notes of a punk rock solo play for a few seconds before fading away. The older girl flipped open a phone and smiled at her, even as Ruby tried to ignore the very short distance between them. "Good."

The air that separated them became considerably less as a hand reach up to cup her cheek, pulling her towards the other brunette. Blake's lips touched her's before exploring a bit further, pushing the chaste bounds the others had established. Unable to do much more than rest her hands on the hips of the taller girl and enjoy it, Ruby made a noise of disappointment when it finally broke.

"You know, I don't usually kiss on the first date either. Especially when it wasn't supposed to be a date, and that date begins with me bawling my eyes out because I got scared." Blake looked entirely less sure of herself than when she had begun, so much so that it sent a pang of hurt through Ruby's heart to see the way the girl's eyes dodged her gaze. "I still don't really understand why you wanted me to stay, or.." Or kiss her, was what Ruby saw the girl was trying to say. "I'm a mess, Ruby. I'm a lot of work in a relationship."

Donning a wide grin that attracted the other girl's gaze to her, Ruby shook her head. "I don't think you're a mess. I think you just need someone to talk to, someone who wants to put in the work with you." Her fingers danced along an attempt to embrace Blake's hand. "And I do want to."

Her attempt was successful, as her fingers entwined with a more slender pair of digits, and she felt a soft squeeze from the other side. "Thank you, Ruby."

* * *

Ruby slipped her hands into the pockets of her jacket, double checking that she had her phone and keys as Yang rambled on about her date night with Dr. Schnee and how she needed to set up a double date with her and Blake. For all that she loved her sister, sometimes Yang just wore on her.

Today, it was because her older sibling would not drop the fact that the living room of the apartment had been ground zero for a make out session. And Ruby, in her infinite wisdom, had mistakenly tortured herself by telling her sister of what had happened. "Speaking of Rubes, I think your girlfriend is waiting outside."

"My what?" Blinking at the teasing expression on Yang's face, she followed a pointing index finger to the windows that revealed the street outside. Sure enough, there was Blake, wearing a torn up leather jacket and waving at her with three fingers as the fourth and a thumb held up a coffee cup.

All of the annoyance that she had put up with today, with Yang and Velvet going back and forth on the various topics that could ever be spoken about her relationship with Blake, all of it washed away on seeing that brilliant smile on the brunette's face. Turning back to look at her sister, she donned a smirk. "Clock me out, will you? Bye Velv!"

"Bye Ruby!"

The sound of the receptionist's voice followed her out the doors of the clinic, and was replaced by the sounds of a clunker car that thundered down the road before turning a corner and leaving her quite alone with Blake. Or rather, as alone as she could be with her friend and sister watching her every move like vultures. "You know you can come in, right?"

A smile that had been present since she had been noticed only grew over Blake's face at the light tease, and Ruby chuckled as a coffee was offered in response. "..Not quite there, yet."

Whether it was the admission of the 'yet' or the sudden overwhelming desire to kiss the other girl, Ruby was quite sure it was to get out of the view of the two nosy girls inside the clinic that she closed a hand over the coffee and pushed forward, driving Blake back out of the view of the windows and against the side of the neighboring building.

Now with the older girl's back to the brick, she leaned up on her tiptoes to press her lips against the soft pair that awaited them, enjoying the elicited noise of surprise and approval far more than she should have. But public was no such place for prolonged acts of this nature, and so she pulled away, a wide grin in place as she took the cup of coffee. "Thank you, Blake."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Took a bit to get this chapter done. Ironically, my own dog ran away this last week. We found a few days later, someone had picked him up and taken him home, however that person's friend had the decency to call the number on the tags. Anyway, enough of my drama, hope you all had awesome holidays! Also, wanted to take a bit to do something I don't think I've done yet: Thank you every person who had followed and favorited this story, as well as to all my wonderful readers, you're all awesome. Special shoutout to those who dropped a review, I am really glad you're enjoying the story! -Fox**

 **P.S.: For those who read Abandoned and might see this, or have asked on Reddit about such a thing. I am thinking about continuing that story. However, at the bare minimum I want to finished this story first. Also, I have to decide if I want to postpone my Cyberpunk AU(again), which also postpones Roses & Thorns.. So lots of decisions surrounding that, so lets give it a solid: Maybe.**


	5. Chapter 5

_**All a Matter of Timing –**_ **Chapter 5**

Blake was happy.

Which wasn't to say that she had been unhappy before, she had been alright. She had enjoyed her life, despite the setbacks in similar vein to her crippling fear of one of the most common household pets. But in this moment, she was truly happy, as she walked down the street side by side with the girl who worked at the clinic. Even with the sun only starting to begin its decent, the coffee she had procured earlier remained a relaxing warmth as they walked in comfortable silence.

Or, it was silent until she squeaked in surprise at the feeling of a hand slipping into her own and entwining their fingers. A glance revealed that Ruby was grinning, enjoying this as much as she was, if not more. The younger girl's boldness was refreshing, eliminating all thoughts of what standing their relationship might have been on since yesterday. Ever so slowly, she felt her gaze trace the lines of Ruby's body until she set her sights on the cute profile of the brunette's face.

She did not realize that she was staring until they stopped at a crosswalk, and argent-colored eyes widened and slid over to regard her as if to ask what it was she was looking at. "What?" A nervous laugh came from the younger girl, followed by a worried frown. "I don't have something on my face, do I?"

"Heh, no." Shaking her head as she spoke, Blake could not help but grin at the way Ruby had been seconds away from desperately wiping at her face. "I'm just trying to think of a way to thank you. You've been so great to me already, especially with how you calmed me down yesterday and got me to pet Drei. I don't think you realize how huge that was for me."

A slow blink was all the answer she got, prompting her to continue with a degree of nervousness that had simply not been present before. Had she insulted the girl, had Ruby finally hit that point where she was just too weird for her? "A-Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for calming me down and pushing me to be.. Better. How did you know how to do all that, anyway?"

The lack of emotion on the shorter girl's face began to give way into a wide smile as she watched, washing away all doubts as Ruby spoke to her. "I actually learned it because it was used on me when I was younger. I saw a therapist almost all the years I was in middle and high school."

This candid fact was dropped freely, with no sign of hesitation on the girl's features as they continued walking. Blake admired that. She had tried to go to therapy. Social stigma and a lack of confidence ensured that a few visits was all she could muster before giving up entirely and feeling doomed to a life of this fear. She had been fine with it, or so she had thought.

But meeting Ruby, learning what the gorgeous young woman did for a living, what she could do, had invigorated Blake. She felt better about herself than she had in a long time, and the strangest thing was that her time spent with the other brunette could be measured in hours. They knew little of one another besides where they worked, and yet it felt to her as if she knew more than enough to place her faith completely in this person before her.

So enraptured by her own thoughts and her study of just how well the red dye mixed with Ruby's dark hair, Blake failed to compensate for her limp as their feet travelled over an uneven portion of the sidewalk. The impact pitched her forward a few steps, sloshing a bit of coffee through the top of her lid but otherwise generating no ill effects. This happened often to her, in times when she forgot that her scarred leg had a bit of trouble keeping up with the other.

"Sorry." A meek smile was all that she could offer in addition to the apology, upon noticing Ruby's worried expression. Eager to move on from her own clumsiness, she rapidly latched on to the last topic of conversation and tugged at it to change the subject, not bothering to truly wonder if it was such a good idea. "Um, can I ask why you went to therapy? You seem so.. Put together."

"I'm glad you think so, Blake." Ruby seemed to accept her misstep for what it was, and gave a shrug of slender shoulders before leading her by the hand to continue on the way to the girl's apartment. "But I wasn't always so upbeat."

She remained silent, letting the other girl sort through thoughts as they continued on their way, giving a squeeze of the smaller hand in her own every now and again, a quiet reminder that she was here if she was needed. When Ruby finally did speak again, it had been long enough that Blake nearly jumped. "My mom died when I was young, an accident. With what happened between him and Yang's mom, my dad kind of shut down after that, and my sister took care of me."

"At first, I didn't think anything was wrong. I smiled, I laughed, I made jokes. It took a lot of looking at myself to realize that I was doing what I thought a happy little girl should do, not acting how I really felt. Moments when I knew I should have been happy, like birthdays, just felt.. Empty." A soft increase in the grip Blake had on the other girl's hand was to let Ruby know that she was here, and she was listening as they walked, even if she was staring at the ground.

"Honestly, I went a long time thinking it was normal. That everyone else was just faking like me. But Yang noticed it eventually, called me out on it. She set it up to have me talk to someone." Silver eyes flashed over to her, accompanied by a bright smile that let her know Ruby wasn't letting the topic bring down the mood. "Turns out I was depressed. Instead of facing my feelings from losing my mom, I was shutting them down, just pushing them away and becoming numb to everything."

"Anyway.." Blake found she really enjoyed the way her companion had a tendency to lead her through the various crowds they nearly bumped into on the sidewalk. It made up for the lack of attention she was giving their journey, as engrossed in listening as she was. "I picked up a few things from the therapist I talked to, though I don't know how much help it would be to you. Pretty sure the only reason you let me talk you into petting Drei is that I'm cute."

When Ruby looked back at her with a wide smile to let her know she was just joking, Blake returned it with a quick wink, one that cause pink to bloom over the pale surface of the other brunette's cheeks. "You know it, Rose." As they came to a stop near the entrance to the apartment, she used the handhold she had on the other to bring the girl around to face her. "I'm sorry, about your mom."

"I miss her still, sometimes. When I think too much or.." Blake felt her other hand be taken in a soft grip, and the temperature in the air between them increased as Ruby took a bold step forward. "When I'm alone."

With a thought that it shouldn't amuse her so much that the younger girl had to reach tiptoed height to kiss her crossed Blake's mind, but was summarily ignored as she decided it was just too damn cute. Her lips locked with a soft pair, gently descending until they both stood on even ground. It lasted only a few seconds, as the sound of footsteps drew them apart in embarrassment.

A man in a black business suit with a red tie walked by them on the sidewalk, offering them the briefest glance and a nod of greeting as he noticed their stares. No words were exchanged as he continued on, and Blake's gaze was drawn back to Ruby as quickly as she could manage, finding silver eyes waiting for her. "Let's continue this inside?"

A question like that, she couldn't even begin to disagree.

* * *

A week seemed to be a much smaller measurement of time now, for Blake. Ever since she had met Ruby, it seemed time was beginning to roll by faster and faster. It didn't really seem fair to her, as each day that quickly zipped by should go slowly. It should allow her the chance to truly savor the relationship she had struck up with the girl who had now become her girlfriend.

It had been two weeks since she had first walked into that the Clinic, seeking out the girl she had seen in the cafe days earlier. Two weeks and over a dozen trips to the messy apartment later, Blake had gotten a little more comfortable around the massive dog that Ruby kept. But still, just entering the Clinic proved a challenge.

She hesitated inside the open doorway, holding a tray containing four coffees meant to be a treat for the lunch break of those that worked at the Clinic. What she hadn't counted on was that no one would be present at the entry desk when she arrived, or for the five minutes she spent standing on the sidewalk, awkwardly sidestepping strangers.

But patience had run out, and Blake was now halfway through a step into the Clinic, biting her lip in frustration of her fear. Her thoughts turned inward, and turned to the soft cadence of Ruby's voice. It always soothed her, to think of her girlfriend walking her through the steps to achieving a calmer state. With that, she was able to push through and step into the room, moving quickly to the receptionist's desk.

Velvet was nowhere to be found as she sat the coffee down on the counter and moved to pull her cell from her pocket. A loud bang as the front door swung shut caused her to jump, but what truly sent fear coursing through her heart was the chorus of barks that started up from the back, and the double doors that were thrown wide open.

They revealed a large dog with a ferocious looking face that charged through with wild abandon, heading directly toward her with a gait that could not be mistaken as anything but aggression. She recognized the breed instantly, having been bitten by a similar one in her youth, and instinctually cowered back. The area between the reception desk and the wall seemed to shrink as her back slammed into a hard surface and she sunk to the ground.

A row of sharp teeth snapped close just a few inches from her legs as the pit bull was roughly dragged back by someone holding the collar, and Blake's gaze followed the slender arm to the face of her savior.

She could count on one hand the number of times she had seen Ruby's features arranged into anything other than a form of smiling. This moment would be added to the tally, as the expression that dominated the younger girl's face was one of anger as she cried out. "Yang!"

Within seconds the dog was pulled away from Blake's view, a flash of blonde hair telling who had been the one to truly wrestle the dog back into the back room. Not that she saw the doors open, so busy attempting to bury her face into the space between her chest and her folded knees. In her terror she had not noticed the tears searing at the edges of her eyes, but now that she was able to truly examine the situation a sense of embarrassment grew only larger when she felt a soft hand being laid on her arm.

"I'm sorry!" Ruby's voice was so close, and she could feel the heat of the girl's body as she quivered in the aftermath of her reaction. "I'm so sorry, Blake, I didn't know you were coming, and we just got another rescue from that dog fighting thing, and-" Silencing the girl by sliding her arms around the slender neck of the younger girl, Blake pulled her as close as she could so that she could bury herself into that warmth and forget.

* * *

It took a few minutes for her mind to return to a point where she could actually focus on creating a coherent thought, but Blake tried her best to claw back there. She forced her thoughts not to the ferocious dog that had taken a run at her, but to the warmth and softness of the chest she had buried herself into, even managing to smile at the awkward position she had pulled Ruby into.

It worked wonders on her nerves, soothing the ones that were still raw and returning sanity to the pathways of her mind. Fear was an insidious, savage foe. But she had the lucky luxury of having one of the best repellents of that vicious emotion sitting halfway on top of her. "I'm sorry for freaking out."

Her words were spoken into a shirt, coming out muffled in a way she wasn't sure the younger girl had heard her. "There's nothing to apologize for, Blake. It was my fault." The reassurance was softly said next to an ear, and lips gently grazed past that organ and pressed against her forehead, at the edge of her hairline.

"No, I-"

"Phew!" A new voice joined the fray, causing them both to start and stare up at the gorgeous blonde girl that had joined them. "That was a close one, sorry about that." Lilac colored eyes studied them. The way they were holding one another, the tears that stained Blake's face. But there came no tease about her fear, no remark on how she should grow up. "Oh, you must be the girl that my little sister never stops talking about."

Letting herself be practically pulled to her feet by Ruby, she glanced at her girlfriend to find the other brunette was living up to her name, with cheeks that were blazing red in a furious blush. Her amusement lasted only a second as her gaze was snapped to the hand that was extended toward her. "Blake, right? I'm Yang, sure you've heard of me from little sis."

Taking the hand and shaking it, she kept her other hand tightly snaked around the back of Ruby's waist. "It's good to finally meet you, Yang. Or rather, again.." Silver eyes glanced in her direction with an expression of curiosity dominating them. "I'm pretty sure we bumped into each other the first time I came in looking for Ruby."

A loud laugh came from the blonde, a happy sound that filled the room for a moment. "You remember! You looked so nervous, almost as much as Ruby was excited talking about you!"

All three shared a laugh at that, one that continued on for a few moments before dying down into chuckles and finally, silence. A few glances around determined that a hint was taken by Yang. "Oh yeah, I need to go finish up. Ruby, I've got things handled here, why don't you two get going?"

"Are you sure?" Ruby's tone conveyed that she desperately wanted her older sister to be sure, so much so that a grin took over Blake's lips.

"Yeah, go get Blakey a nice lunch." As purple eyes turned to regard her, one closed for a moment in a wink, leaving her wondering just what it was that the older sibling was implying. Nonetheless, she didn't mind the nickname. "Nice to meet you, Blake."

Smiling softly at the taller girl, Blake felt a hand around her waist grip a bit tighter as she was steered toward the entrance. "Likewise, Yang."

* * *

Ruby tilted the bottle just a bit more over the pan, waiting until the liquid was announced with a harsh sizzle as it mingled with the food. Placing the sauce to the side, she stirred the mixture of vegetables before dumping it into a pan containing the meats that had just finished browning. "Blake, it's almost ready!"

There came no answer as she worked the dials on the stove to turn the heat back down, taking a moment to listen before shrugging and returning to her work. Before long, there were two plates filled with a modest helping of the food she had spent the better part of the last hour cooking. It was a bit heavy for a lunch, but it was one of her favorite recipes, a speciality of her mother's she had spent years perfecting.

She was sure Blake would love it, and that thought set a happy hum in her chest as she carefully balanced the plates and carried them through the apartment. She found her girlfriend, and the reason there had been no answer to her call, in the living room where they had shared their first kiss.

Slumped against the back of the couch with a lazy hand draped over the neck of a massive dog, Blake was fast asleep with Drei just as out of it in her lap. It was all Ruby could do not to squeal in happiness, having known from the start of working on the older girl's fear that these two would eventually be the best of friends.

Careful in her efforts to lay the plates down on the table, as to not wake either of them, she pulled her cell from her pocket to take a quick picture of the sleeping duo. Once she was satisfied this moment was solidified in time, she leaned down to kiss the very tip of Blake's nose. The first time garnered no reaction, so she moved to the right cheek, and the form beneath her stirred.

She moved to the left cheek, barely managing to pull away as a massive yawn overtook the girl who was now waking up and staring at her with a confused expression. "Hey there, sleepyhead." Ruby giggled at her own joke, grinning from ear to ear. "Lunch is ready."

Pools of shimmering amber shifted down to regard the dog that was draped across Blake's lap. But there was no freezing, no widening of the eyes, no fear. Only a hand that reached up and scratched at the fur along Drei's floppy ears.

Blake's gaze snapped up to her after that, sharing in a grin as Ruby leaned down to kiss her girlfriend once again, this time on the lips. She pulled back after a quick moment of bliss, jerking a thumb towards the table. "You know the food-" She was interrupted by an arm that wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her downward, into another deep kiss.

Words that had been meant to be said were lost in a soft moan as she melted into the embrace, and slid down to the closest open position on the couch. Ruby was careful not to pinch Drei in between them, but the dog had no such problem, having been awakened by the delicious smell that was wafting through the room.

It was the sound of a dog yawning that broke the kiss, causing both of them to stare at the animal as he stared back at them and licked his lips. After a long moment, both girls broke down into giggles at the situation, their mirth only ending when Ruby turned to score another lip lock. Blake pulled back from her, donning a mischievous grin as she was held back from her prize. "Let's eat."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Let me just go ahead and thank everyone who followed, favorited and reviewed this story. You guys have all been great! I hope you enjoyed my first foray into fluff and you'll check out some of my other stories, but for now, All a Matter of Timing is finished. I've been chomping at the bit to get back to Roses & Thorns, so I think I might be headed back to that after this. If any of you out there would like to pick up this AU or anything of that sort, please do go ahead, all I ask is that you let me know so I can read it! Thank you again and I hope you all have a fantastic day! -Fox**


End file.
